There are an increasing number of applications where articulatable devices are desirable. By way of example, robotic arms having one or more joints have been used in numerous manufacturing processes as well as in more complex applications such as in outer space or for exploratory or investigative purposes in places where it may be impossible, unsafe or undesirable for humans to go. Conventional articulatable arms and other devices are often heavy and even bulky as a result of the device having to be strong or rigid enough to support not only its own weight, especially as they become increasingly longer (and hence must support a greater bending moment), as well as the weight of anything that the device may be carrying.
While existing devices may be suitable in specific applications, more mobile, configurable and lightweight articulatable devices are desirable.